Closet-flushing device



Nov. 4, 1930. c. w. BROWN CLOSET FLUSHING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, 1930Nonlaq Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECLOSET-FL'USHING I)EVICE Application led January 21, 1930. Serial No.422,403.

This invention relates to 'lush tanks for toilets and has particularrelation to those flushing devices Where a plurality of iushing meansare provided to provide a variable amount of water supply for the Hush.

With the increase in the adoption of devices requiring water for theiroperation and due partly to the increase in population, there isarising, in some cities, a water shortage 1e which is causing the cityengineers a great deal of concern. It has been determined that one causefor the large wastage of water is in the flushing of closets with alarger amount of water than would be necessary. In the use of flushtanks for closet iushing, it has been found that for some purposes, lessthan the full amount is sufficient, but that with the usualconstructions of flush control devices,

the ball valve once having been lifted, it re mains oft of its seatuntil the tank is empty. If the floating valve is replaced by a valvewhich has to be held up, then careless persons will not take the troubleto see that a proper flushing takes place.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improvedcloset flushing device having a differential control for the flushingwater.

Another obj ect of the invention is the provision of such a differentialiiushing device having a provision for releasing variable amounts ofwater and having a means for adjusting the amount of water to be used inthe full flushing and also means for adjusting the amount of water to bereleased for a lesser ushing.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a plurality ofdelivery pipes having valves at their tops for providing variableamounts of water for iiushing and a means for adjusting the relativeheight of the valves, one to the other.

Another and still further object of the invention is the provision ofsuch a flushing device having extensible fittings to provide foradjustments as to distance between the valves to take care of differenttypes of tanks and as to height of valves to adjust for a minimum amountof water for the particular bowl 5 with which it is to be used.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a reading of the complete specications andclaims.

Referring to the drawing wherein I have illustrated an embodiment of myinvention,

Figure 1 is a front cross section of my invention.

Figure 2 shows a modified operating mechanism for my invention.

Throughout the specification and drawings the same reference characterswill be used to describe and designate the same or similar parts.

The numeral 10 designates the tank which 65 is of the usualconstruction. v An inlet supply pipe 11 furnishes a water supply to lillthe tank space to the predetermined level. A valve mechanism 12 of theusual construction controls the water entering through the pipe 11. Aball 13 is mounted on a rod 14 which is pivoted at 15 on a lever 16which has a segmental slot 17. A wing nut and bolt 18 secures the rod 14to the segmental slot 17 to hold the ball in any one of many adjustedpositions. The lever 16 is fulcrumed at 19 and is connected by a link 2Oto the valve lever 2l which controls the operation of the inlet valvemechanism in a well known manner.

To control a. full iushing, I provide the bulb valve 21 which rests ona, valve seat 22 above the outlet 23 to the closet bowl. The bulb valve21 is held in proper position by a rod 23 which moves in an axialdirection in the guide 24.

The guide 24 is supported from the overflow pipe 25. A releasing rod 26operates the rod 23 to lift the valve 21 and is itself operated by thelever arm 27 connected to the handle 28.

Adjacent and below the valve seat 22 is a branch fitting 29 to receivethe water comin from the second valve, about to be describe In order tovary the amount of a partial flushing for the closet bowl, the secondvalve seat designated 30, is located at one side of the valve seat 22and in a position which may be varied, at will, as to height. Thisadjustable feature is important as it enables the user, by experiment,to determine the exact amount of water necessary for the desired resultsand to leave the parts set so that subsequent flushings will be of thesame quantity of water.

The valve 30 is at the top of an adjustable tting 31 which in theembodiment shown has a sliding fit with a short length of adjustablepipe section 32. In order to hold the fitting 31 in ad'usted relation tothe section 32, I have provi ed a water tight securing joint.

A packing nut 33 is of a shape to fit closely around the pipe section 32and is screw threaded to the fitting 31. A packing 34 is held betweenthe packing nut 33 and the end of the fitting 31 and makes a water tightconnection between the two. In addition, this packing holds the parts 31and 32 in relative position. From the description of these parts it isclear that by pressing down or raising up, the height of the valve seat30 may be regulated. On the bottom of the section 32 are preferably longscrew threads 35 which coact with screw threaded surface 36 of a couplin37.' The opposite end of the screw threaded surface 36 receives thescrew threads of an elbow 38. The elbow 38 receives one end of athreaded nipple 39, the other end of which is threaded in a T-fitting40. The opposite end of the T-itting is connected by a nipple 41 whichis threaded in the fitting 29.

By adjustment of the nipples 39 and 41 within their threadedconnections, the device v as a whole may be ada ted for different sizesand types of tanks havlng the flushing` handle means in various places.

By adjusting the part 32 relative to the part 37 and the latter withrelation to the elbow 38, various heights may be obtained. If necessary,different lengths of pipe 32 or couplings 37 may be used.

The variations of the adjustments of the pipes and fittings 31, 32, 37and 38 and the substitution of various lengths of the parts is for thepurpose of obtaining different heights for the valve seat 30.

A valve 42 carries a rod 43 which is guided in the guide 44 supportedfrom the overflow pipe 25. A lifting rod 45 is lifted by the lever arm46 which is operated by the handle 47 in a well-known manner.

The bulb valve 42 rests on the valve seat 30. When the valve seat isadjusted, the guide 44 is correspondingly adjusted along the overiow pie 25 which is supported in the T-itting 40. he lifting rod 45 which is abent iece of wire can easily be bent to provide fbr lifting the guiderod 43 at the proper time.

At the time of installation, by trial, the level of the water isadjusted by loosening the wing nut 18 and adjusting the height of theball by the relation between the lever 16 and the rod 14. The wing nut18 is then tightened. The height of the water should ready described.

When itis determined that the valve 42 and its valve seat are in properrelation to the surface of the water in the tank, then these parts areleft in their positions and the proper adjustments of the parts 44 and45 are made.

In installing the device asa whole, in a tank the adjustment of theparts 29, 41, 40, 39 and 38, places the parts so that they may conformto the position of the operatin handle 47 and the position of the tankwal In Figure 2 I have illustrated an embodiment of the inventionshowing a different form of operating means. In this form the parts 26and 45 are the lifting rods for the valves as already described forFigure 1. In this form, however, the lifting arms 127 and 146 areintegral with a pivoted operating handle 147 which may be moved in onedirection for a large or full flush and in the other direction for apartial iush. In practice, suitable indicia would be placed on the tankto indicate the direction of movement to produce the desired results.The movement in one direction, for example clockwise would lift thelifting rod 26, the guide rod 23 and would cause the operation of thevalve 21 in a well known manner.

At the same time, the lever arm 146 in moving downwardly would simplypermit the eye at the lower end of the lifting rod 45 to slidedownwardly over the rod 43 with no resultant action. This would causethe bulb 21 to be lifted and due to its slidinv connection with thelifting rod 26, would tend to float until the tank was emptied.

After the tank is again full, the same action in a counter clockwisedirection will lift the valve 42, deliverinv' the water to the level ofthe valve seat 30, down through the passage in the fittings 31, 32,37,38, 39, 40,41, 29, 22 and 23. No water below the level of the valveseat 30 will be d ischar ed.

As in the previous case, wit the lowering of the water level, the ball13 lowers and opens the valve 12 and admits the water until the ball 13raises to a predetermined level and closes the valve 12.

A refilling pipe 48 is connected to the valve 12 and extends to theoverfiow pipe in the usual manner. This refilling pipe is useful in thepresent structure as it has a. tendency to always have the level of thewater, in the t the same degree of flushing repeate bowl, at the sameheight when the valves 21 and 42 are operated. This tends to 1 While Ihave described and illustraad, in detail, an embodiment vof myinvention, I desire to have it understood that the disclosure is merelyillustrative and that modifications and changes can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and within the scope ofthe apended claims.

Having describe my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A closet bowl flushing device for use in a iushing tank,comprising a connection between the tank chamber and the closet bowl, ameans for j selectively releasing different amounts of water through theconnection to the bowl a'nd adjustable means for predeterminedly anddifferentially controlling the amounts of water released by theselective releasing means. 2. A closet bowl iushing device for use onalushing tank, comprising two valves and valve seats, a passage withranches connecting each valve seat with the closet, means for regulatingthe amount of water to pass either valve seat and to regulate the amountof water released by one of the valves independently of and without chan'ng the regulation of the amount released y the other.

3. A closet bowl u'shing device com risin two valves and valve seatsplace at di erent heights and means for adjusting the height' of oneseat relative to the other seat to control the relative amount of waterdelivered by the valveswhen operated selectively. j l y 4. A closet bowlBushing device comprising a ylurality of valves and valve seats at dierent heights, a. passa e connecting each valve seat with the closetowl,the two passages joining together ladjacent'. the outlet to the closetbowl and means for adjusting the height of'one valve-seat relative tothe other seat to control the relative amount of water delivered by thevalves when'operated selectively.

5. A closet bowl flushing device comprising a plurality of valves andvalve seats, ttings having a assa e connectin each valve seat with the coset owl, means or varying the height of the valve seat includingextensible means for lengthening orshortening a ortion of the passagewithin the fittings.

n testimony whereof4 I hereunto aix my signature.

CHARLES WATKINS BROWN.

produce

